Super Happy Booking Information
Howdy folks! Super Happy Fun Land is always looking for interesting and unusual performers. We have a very diverse and eclectic range of events that are booked here. If your act is super, happy, and fun, this is probably the right place for you!
If you would like to book you performance here, please do not call us or send us a MySpace message. All booking is done through email. Send us a description of your act, with the date you are looking for, and a website URL (preferably with music we can listen to) to Brian at:
Please note, we get around 20 emails from performers every day.
We try to answer all email promptly, but occasionally something slips by us. If we do not answer your email within a few days, feel free to email us again. Please note that individualized emails always get preferred treatment to those pesky "online press kit" type emails that are sent to multiple venues. We will accept CDs through the mail, but prefer listening to your music online to save time. CDs we receive for promotional purposes will be added to our music rotation in the lounge if you grant permission for us to play them. Super Happy Fun Land only plays original music by performers who have given us permission to play their original compositions. By sending your promotional CD addressed to "Permission Granted c/o Super Happy Fun Land" you are granting permission to us to play your original compositions. We will not sell, copy, or otherwise distribute your original music.
Below is a copy of those forms bands and promoters always want me to fill out. If you ask me to fill out one of these forms I am going to refer you to this page:
1: Venue Name: Super Happy Fun Land
2: Venue URL: http://www.superhappyfunland.com
3: Venue Address:
3801 Polk Street, Houston TX 77003
Super Happy Fun Land will be relocating to 3801 Polk Street, Houston TX 77003 in mid January. Our new location is thrice as big, and closer to downtown, we are very excited about our move!
4: Venue/promoter Telephone #: 713.880.2100
5: Venue/promoter contact name: Brian Arthur
6: Age Requirement: All Ages
7: Capacity: 300*
8: Admission: $7 unless otherwise specified
9: Wage agreed upon: Bands get 50% of the door**
10: Merchandise Rate: 100% to artist/artist sells
11: Load in: Doors open at 8pm (unless otherwise specified)***
12: Show time: Shows usually start around 9pm
(unless otherwise specified)
13: Other performing artists: TBA****
14: Set length and order: TBD*****
* Theater seating for 250 people, and large floor area.
We have a large patio/smoking area, art gallery and front lounge to handle overflow.
** We are a not for profit art and performance venue, so we can never offer guarantees.
We do not guarantee food and drinks for the performers (except for water).
Performers may bring their own food and drinks if they wish.
Minimal indoor overnight lodging for bands is available most of the time (couches and/or floorspace).
*** Sound check is made before each set. If extended technical sound check is required due to unusual circumstances, please make advance arrangements to load in 2 hours before normal load in time.
**** You will be notified when the lineup is finalized, check the online calendar for updates. Often we will not determine the order of the bands until the night of the show, after the bands have arrived. We try to come up with lineups that make sense (touring bands usually play in the middle).
***** We are pretty flexible, we try to come up with the best lineup to fit the night. See the
Promotion section below for more info on how to come up with a good lineup.
Super Happy Sound System:
Behringer UB2442FX Pro 24 Input Mixer
Behringer DEQ2496 UltraCurve Pro
DBX Driverack Crossover
Crown CE 4000 power amp (Mains)
Crown CE 2000 power amp (Subs)
DI Boxes, 100 Ft. PA Snake
2 Yamaha S115V mains, 2 Carvin 1562 mains, 2 JBL subs, 2 Yamaha SM115V monitors
8 Sennheiser E-835 mics & mic stands, various cables
House backline equipment is available (drums, small amps)
Super Happy Stage Dimensions:
14ft6in Length, 24ft9in Width, 2ft4in Height
With removable drum riser
Super Happy Promotion:
Several music newspapers and internet music directories list our events
as well as public and college radio and the local paper.
We send out a bi-monthly calendar to our very large (5000 +) email list,
and daily show bulletins on MySpace (over 4000 contacts).
We also distribute a paper calendar and posters and flyers for our events.
We try to do as much promotion and flyer distribution as we can,
but as they say, if you want the job done right, do it yourself.
Here are some contacts that might help you out. Remember that creativity gets the best results!
Here are some press contacts in
Houston:
Houston Press: http://www.houstonpress.com
Free Press Houston:
http://www.freepresshouston.com (Contact at
Editors@freepresshouston.com )
Houston Chronicle Music News:
http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/ae/music
Houston KPFT
Pacifica Public Radio: http://www.kpft.org
Rice Student Radio http://www.ktru.org
Independent Record Stores in the Houston Area:
Sound Exchange: http://www.soundexchangehouston.com
Vinal Edge Records: http://www.vinaledge.com
Diamond Head Records: http://www.diamondheadrecords.com
Evolution Records Tapes & More: (281) 476-0146 - 8099 Spencer Hwy, Deer Park, TX
Evolution Records Tapes & More: (281) 422-0112 - 907 E Fayle St, Baytown, TX
Music Town Discount CDs: (281) 251-2924 - 17034 Stuebner Airline Rd, Spring, TX
Promotion and Networking tips:
I recommend that every band get a MySpace account. It is a great way to network with local fans and bands in any city that you plan on playing at. Visit our MySpace profile here: http://www.myspace.com/superhappyfunland . A few bands think they are too cool and/or underground to set up a MySpace profile. Well they are not, they are just dumb. Even Jandek has a MySpace page.
If your band is new to Houston, local support is very important if you want anyone to come to your show. We try to set up local support for touring bands, but due to the number of touring bands that come through here, it can be difficult for us to arrange local bands for every show. If you are coming from a different city, feel free to contact some local bands that you think might be interested in performing at your show. Again, MySpace is a great resource for this. Remember that a band that you have personally contacted is much more likely to put forth some effort to support your show. Here are a few more resources for local bands in Houston:
Houston Bands.Net: http://www.houstonbands.net
Space City Rock Band Page: http://www.spacecityrock.com/bands.shtml
Notice to local bands: We are always looking for local bands who can draw people out to a show (especially on weekdays) to support touring bands. Take a look at our online calendar and see if there are any bands from out of town playing that you would like to open up for. If so, send me an email and I will put you on the bill if possible. Local bands who support touring performers get preferential treatment during local showcases and festivals!
Notice to hardcore/death metal/thrash bands: We don't really do metal shows here unless you are a very experimental/noise metal band ( like this guy for example http://www.myspace.com/toiletpower ) or maybe if you are from Sweden or Japan we might book you. Otherwise, you should try these guys: http://myspace.com/javajazzcoffeehouse you will have much more fun there, and so will we.
Notice to performers: Do not perform copyrighted materials at Super Happy Fun Land unless you have permission to perform them.
Here are the names of a few of the performers that we have hosted at our venue:
Nels Cline (www.nelscline.com)
Carla
Bozulich
(www.carlabozulich.com)
The Incredible String Band (www.incrediblestringband.com)
Mr Quintron and Miss Pussycat
( http://www.eccentricneworleans.com/mr__quintron.htm )
Melanie (http://www.melaniemusic.net)
The Polysics
(http://www.polysics.com/en/)
Electric Eel Shock (www.electriceelshock.com)
Green Milk From the Planet Orange (www.green-milk.com)
That One Guy (www.that1guy.com)
Faun Fables (http://www.faunfables.net)
Brown Whorenet ( www.brownwhornet.com )
The Human Marvels (www.humanmarvels.com)
Kimya Dawson (www.kimyadawson.com)
The Twinemen (www.twinemen.com)
The Asylum Street Spankers (www.asylumstreetspankers.com)
Girl Talk (www.girl-talk.net)
Whirlwind Heat (www.myspace.com/theheatboys)
Tapes 'n Tapes www.tapesntapes.com
Mathematicians (http://www.myspace.com/mathematicians)
Eugene Chadbourne (www.eugenechadbourne.com)
Pleaseeasaur (www.pleaseeasaur.com)
Two Star Symphony (www.twostarsymphony.org)
Jean-Louis Costes (http://costes.org)
Z'EV ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z'EV )
Rusted Shut (http://www.myspace.com/rustedshuthouston)
For a more complete list of past performers visit:
http://www.superhappyfunland.com/super_happy_past_performances.htm
Visit this page:
Top 39 Annoying Things That Bands Do
to see how your band can improve its relationship in general with the venues it plays at. Not all of these apply to SHFL, but many of them do, and it is pretty funny:
Here is a great resource for getting your CD on the radio and reviewed in print:
The Independent Recording Artist's
Number One Resource...
The Indie Bible lists THOUSANDS of places where you can get your music REVIEWED
and your songs PLAYED on the radio. ALL genres of music are covered!
Click Here To Buy The Indie Bible
(proceeds benefit Super Happy Fun Land)
Here is a list of some other underground venues in Texas that are currently booking performers
Dallas/Ft. Worth
The Metrognome Collective
www.myspace.com/
1919 Hemphill
Denton:
The Eighth Continent
http://www.myspace.com/theeighthcontinent
The House of Tinnitus
(experimental/noise)
http://www.myspace.com/houseoftinnitus
(let me know if your venue would like to be added to this list)
